Overview

Hearry Benson suffers from violent seizures. When he becomes part of an experimental program that sends electrodes to his brain to calm him, he is in recovery. Until he discovers how to get those soothing pulses more frequently, and then escapes the hopsital--on a murderous rampage with a deadly agenda....

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Overview

Hearry Benson suffers from violent seizures. When he becomes part of an experimental program that sends electrodes to his brain to calm him, he is in recovery. Until he discovers how to get those soothing pulses more frequently, and then escapes the hopsital--on a murderous rampage with a deadly agenda....

Editorial Reviews

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Harry Benson suffers from painful, violence-inducing seizures. In an effort to alleviate this problem, Benson undergoes an experimental medical procedure in which electrodes are attached to his brain's trouble spots -- if all goes well, timed jolts of electricity will correct his disability. But when Benson learns to turn up the juice whenever he pleases, his murderous rampage begins.

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Meet the Author

More by this Author

Michael Crichton was born in Chicago in 1942. His novels include Timeline, Jurassic Park, and The Andromeda Strain. He was also the creator of the television series ER. One of the most popular writers in the world, his books have been made into thirteen films, and translated in thirty-six languages. He died in 2008.

Read an Excerpt

Terminal Man

Chapter One

They came down to the emergency ward at noon and sat on the bench just behind the swinging doors that led in from the ambulance parking slot. Ellis, the senior man, was tense, preoccupied, distant. The younger man, Morris, was eating a candy bar. He crumpled the wrapper into the pocket of his white jacket.

From where they sat, they could look at the sunlight outside, falling across the big sign that said EMERGENCY WARD and the smaller sign that said NO PARKING AMBULANCES ONLY. In the distance they heard sirens.

"Is that him?" Ellis asked.

Morris checked his watch. "I doubt it. It's too early."

They sat on the bench and listened to the sirens come closer. Ellis removed his glasses and wiped them with his tie. One of the emergency ward nurses, a girl Morris did not know by name, came over and said brightly, "Is this the welcoming committee?"

Ellis squinted at her. Morris said, "We'll be taking him straight through. Do you have his chart down here?"

The nurse said, "Yes, I think so, Doctor," and walked off looking irritated.

Ellis sighed. He replaced his glasses and frowned at the nurse. "I suppose the whole damned hospital knows."

"It's a pretty big secret to keep."

The sirens were very close now; through the windows they saw an ambulance back into the slot. Two orderlies opened the door and pulled out the stretcher. A frail elderly woman lay on the stretcher, gasping for breath, making wet gurgling sounds. Severe pulmonary edema, Morris thought as he watched her taken into one of the treatment rooms.

"I hope he's in good shape," Ellissaid.

"Who?"

"Benson."

"Why shouldn't he be?"

"They might have roughed him up." Ellis stared morosely out the windows. He really is in a bad mood, Morris thought. He knew that meant Ellis was excited; he had scrubbed in on enough cases with Ellis to recognize the pattern. Irascibility under pressure while he waited — and then total, almost lazy calm when the operation began. "Where the hell is he?" Ellis said, looking at his watch again.

To change the subject, Morris said, "Are we all set for three-thirty?" At 3:30 that afternoon, Benson would be presented to the hospital staff at a special Neurosurgical Rounds.

"As far as I know," Ellis said. "Ross is making the presentation. I just hope Benson's in good shape."

Morris knew that two-two-three-four was the extension for the animal laboratories. The call probably meant something had gone wrong with the monkeys. Ellis had been doing three monkeys a week for the past month, just to keep himself and his staff ready.

He watched as Ellis crossed the room and answered from a wall phone. Ellis walked with a slight limp, the result of a childhood injury that had cut the common peroneal nerve in his right leg. Morris always wondered if the injury had had something to do with Ellis's later decision to become a neurosurgeon. Certainly Ellis had the attitude of a man determined to correct defects, to fix things up. That was what he always said to his patients: "We can fix you up." And he seemed to have more than his share of defects himself — the limp, the premature near-baldness, the weak eyes, and the heavy thick glasses. It produced a vulnerability about him that made his irascibility more tolerable.

Morris stared out the window at the sunlight and the parking lot. Afternoon visiting hours were beginning; relatives were driving into the parking lot, getting out of their cars, glancing up at the high buildings of the hospital. The apprehension was clear in their faces; the hospital was a place people feared.

Morris noticed how many of them had sun tans. It had been a warm, sunny spring in Los Angeles, yet he was still as pale as the white jacket and trousers he wore every day. He had to get outside more often, he told himself. He should start eating lunch outside. He played tennis, of course, but that was usually in the evenings.

Ellis came back, shaking his head. "It's Ethel. She tore out her sutures."

"How did it happen?" Ethel was a juvenile rhesus monkey who had undergone brain surgery the day before. The operation had proceeded flawlessly. And Ethel was unusually docile, as rhesus monkeys went.

"I don't know," Ellis said. "Apparently she worked an arm loose from her restraints. Anyway, she's shrieking and the bone's exposed on one side."

"Did she tear out her wires?"

"I don't know. But I've got to go down and resew her now. Can you handle this?"

"I think so."

"Are you all right with the police?" Ellis said. "I don't think they'll give you any trouble."

"No, I don't think so."

"Just get Benson up to seven as fast as you can," Ellis said. "Then call Ross. I'll be up as soon as possible." He checked his watch. "It'll probably take forty minutes to resew Ethel, if she behaves herself."

"Good luck with her," Morris said.

Ellis looked sour and walked away.

After he had gone, the emergency ward nurse came back.

"What's the matter with him?" she asked.

"Just edgy," Morris said.

"He sure is," the nurse said. She paused and looked out the window, lingering.

Morris watched her with a kind of bemused detachment. He'd spent enough years in the hospital to recognize the subtle signs of status. He had begun as an intern, with no status at all. Most of the nurses knew more medicine than he did, and if they were tired they didn't bother to conceal it. ("I don't think you want to do that, Doctor.") As the years went by, he became a surgical resident, and the nurses became more deferential.

First Chapter

Chapter One

They came down to the emergency ward at noon and sat on the bench just behind the swinging doors that led in from the ambulance parking slot. Ellis, the senior man, was tense, preoccupied, distant. The younger man, Morris, was eating a candy bar. He crumpled the wrapper into the pocket of his white jacket.

From where they sat, they could look at the sunlight outside, falling across the big sign that said EMERGENCY WARD and the smaller sign that said NO PARKING AMBULANCES ONLY. In the distance they heard sirens.

"Is that him?" Ellis asked.

Morris checked his watch. "I doubt it. It's too early."

They sat on the bench and listened to the sirens come closer. Ellis removed his glasses and wiped them with his tie. One of the emergency ward nurses, a girl Morris did not know by name, came over and said brightly, "Is this the welcoming committee?"

Ellis squinted at her. Morris said, "We'll be taking him straight through. Do you have his chart down here?"

The nurse said, "Yes, I think so, Doctor," and walked off looking irritated.

Ellis sighed. He replaced his glasses and frowned at the nurse. "I suppose the whole damned hospital knows."

"It's a pretty big secret to keep."

The sirens were very close now; through the windows they saw an ambulance back into the slot. Two orderlies opened the door and pulled out the stretcher. A frail elderly woman lay on the stretcher, gasping for breath, making wet gurgling sounds. Severe pulmonary edema, Morris thought as he watched her taken into one of the treatment rooms.

"I hope he's in good shape," Ellissaid.

"Who?"

"Benson."

"Why shouldn't he be?"

"They might have roughed him up." Ellis stared morosely out the windows. He really is in a bad mood, Morris thought. He knew that meant Ellis was excited; he had scrubbed in on enough cases with Ellis to recognize the pattern. Irascibility under pressure while he waited -- and then total, almost lazy calm when the operation began. "Where the hell is he?" Ellis said, looking at his watch again.

To change the subject, Morris said, "Are we all set for three-thirty?" At 3:30 that afternoon, Benson would be presented to the hospital staff at a special Neurosurgical Rounds.

"As far as I know," Ellis said. "Ross is making the presentation. I just hope Benson's in good shape."

Morris knew that two-two-three-four was the extension for the animal laboratories. The call probably meant something had gone wrong with the monkeys. Ellis had been doing three monkeys a week for the past month, just to keep himself and his staff ready.

He watched as Ellis crossed the room and answered from a wall phone. Ellis walked with a slight limp, the result of a childhood injury that had cut the common peroneal nerve in his right leg. Morris always wondered if the injury had had something to do with Ellis's later decision to become a neurosurgeon. Certainly Ellis had the attitude of a man determined to correct defects, to fix things up. That was what he always said to his patients: "We can fix you up." And he seemed to have more than his share of defects himself -- the limp, the premature near-baldness, the weak eyes, and the heavy thick glasses. It produced a vulnerability about him that made his irascibility more tolerable.

Morris stared out the window at the sunlight and the parking lot. Afternoon visiting hours were beginning; relatives were driving into the parking lot, getting out of their cars, glancing up at the high buildings of the hospital. The apprehension was clear in their faces; the hospital was a place people feared.

Morris noticed how many of them had sun tans. It had been a warm, sunny spring in Los Angeles, yet he was still as pale as the white jacket and trousers he wore every day. He had to get outside more often, he told himself. He should start eating lunch outside. He played tennis, of course, but that was usually in the evenings.

Ellis came back, shaking his head. "It's Ethel. She tore out her sutures."

"How did it happen?" Ethel was a juvenile rhesus monkey who had undergone brain surgery the day before. The operation had proceeded flawlessly. And Ethel was unusually docile, as rhesus monkeys went.

"I don't know," Ellis said. "Apparently she worked an arm loose from her restraints. Anyway, she's shrieking and the bone's exposed on one side."

"Did she tear out her wires?"

"I don't know. But I've got to go down and resew her now. Can you handle this?"

"I think so."

"Are you all right with the police?" Ellis said. "I don't think they'll give you any trouble."

"No, I don't think so."

"Just get Benson up to seven as fast as you can," Ellis said. "Then call Ross. I'll be up as soon as possible." He checked his watch. "It'll probably take forty minutes to resew Ethel, if she behaves herself."

"Good luck with her," Morris said.

Ellis looked sour and walked away.

After he had gone, the emergency ward nurse came back.

"What's the matter with him?" she asked.

"Just edgy," Morris said.

"He sure is," the nurse said. She paused and looked out the window, lingering.

Morris watched her with a kind of bemused detachment. He'd spent enough years in the hospital to recognize the subtle signs of status. He had begun as an intern, with no status at all. Most of the nurses knew more medicine than he did, and if they were tired they didn't bother to conceal it. ("I don't think you want to do that, Doctor.") As the years went by, he became a surgical resident, and the nurses became more deferential.

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Great Book!

I am 13 and most people woould think i am to young to fully appreciate chrichton, but... oh well. I think he is amazing! I practically devoured this book over the past three days; i just couldn't put it down! I love all the fascinating concepts in "Terminal Man" and it is amazing how right Crichton was aboutso many things going on today (like how computers run practically everything). Very compelling book; perfect for someone wanting to read something that stimulates your mind!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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Anonymous

Posted November 25, 2004

Taut thriller

Harry Benson is delivered to University Hospital by the police, who will be watching him throughout his stay there. He's charged with assault and battery, and the only reason he's being allowed to keep his surgical date is that the experimental procedure should - if all goes well - correct the cause of his violent seizures. Or so the surgical team and the hospital's administrator believe. But Benson's psychiatrist, Dr. Janet Ross, isn't so sure. Although this taut thriller seems meant to caution us about the dehumanizing perils of the computer age, which was just dawning when Crichton wrote it, I found it most interesting for its depiction of physicians by one of their own. By making Janet Ross female, the author casts her as the 'outsider' through whose eyes we readers can see the other doctors' specialty-related foibles. Had the book been written later, this wouldn't have worked as well; but in a 1972 world it's an excellent device. By the time you reach the last page, you'll know more than you may want to know about the minds of those who take care of you when you're most vulnerable. A terrific read!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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Anonymous

Posted June 22, 2004

Excellent but brief Crichton read.

The Terminal Man is one of Michael Crichton's crowning achievements. A very short book under 200 pages. I read it in a weeks time. This is the story of a young man (Harry Benson), who suffers from major and very dangerous seizures. Since he has already maimed two people, the police capture him and bring him to University Hospital in LA. There, doctors plan to treat him with a procedure called Stage Three. This is supposed to build up resistance to Benson's seizure attacks. However, not everything goes as planned. I will not tell you anymore. Purchase the book at a low price and read it.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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Anonymous

Posted October 12, 2012

Boring.

Nothing much happened in this.

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Anonymous

Posted August 2, 2012

Skull

Goes to sleep(gtg)

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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The first 65-75% of this book is a total bore but the last part

The first 65-75% of this book is a total bore but the last part makes it come gliding back to full circle.

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andeken

Posted June 19, 2012

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!

This book was recommended to me by my doctor when he found out I had an implant similar to the one the author wrote about in this story for seizures as well. I found it amazing that the author wrote about something that was developed many years later. This book will blow your mind and keep you on the edge of your seat!!!

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Anonymous

Posted December 21, 2011

Amazing Read!

I am a huge fan of Crichton and I have just gotten around to reading the Terminal Man. As always Crichton is able to combine scientifical facts into a thrilling novel. I couldn't put it down because of all the twists and turns in this book. A must for Crichton fans!

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Mrwolf

Posted April 13, 2010

The Terminal Man

Terminal man by Michael Crichton is a creative suspense filled book from page one to the twisting end that will have you flipping the pages over and over again. Harry Benson is a middle aged man with a very big problem. He often has what he calls Blackouts, severe seizures where he loses total control and more recently the blackouts have led to violent breakouts with severe beatings to a man. The violence is increasing and it's only getting worse for Benson. Enter the neurological research team at university hospital. An advanced team of neuro scientists who think they have a solution to Benson's problem. The process is simple and even works at first but only when it is completed do the scientists realize they have made a mistake. Benson soon has a mental breakdown and escapes the hospital. He then goes on a murderous rampage in Los Angeles that seams it can only lead in one way, the termination of Harry Benson.
This is just another one of the twisting page turners by the author Michael Crichton. Other great works by Michael Crichton are The Andromeda Strain, The Sphere, Congo, and Jurassic Park.
This is a great read for anyone who enjoys suspenseful creative novels. Once the book gets going it does not slow down until the very last page. Crichton supplies creative description throughout the book and the readers mind s always working. This is a perfect book for someone looking for the in depth science type novel also. The book is filled with new advance technology that people at that time era might not even have thought possible. Personally I am one of those people who loves the fast adrenaline filled read. I really like this book because I was unable to put it down while reading. Crichton kept me questioning through the whole book. He also did a careful job setting up the book. Putting the characters in the book and using the technology in the book to add to its affect. However, the book did get a little confusing at times do to the vast amounts of new technology introduced. Other than that this was a very good book.

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Anonymous

Posted April 17, 2009

I Also Recommend:

Great read!

This novel is one of the best novels I have ever read. It's not too long, but at the same time the story is very clear. This is the perfect book to read on a cold, rainy day. This novel was very well done, as are all of Crichton's other works. If you enjoy Michael Crichton, you're gonna love this!

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Anonymous

Posted January 11, 2009

The Terminal Man

In this Sci-fi thriller, Harold Benson suffers from violent seizures, and has surgery done to implant probes that send shock waves to stimulate his brain. However, Benson escapes and goes on a murderous rampage. This book is very suspenseful and very interesting. You are glued to your seat as you follow the hunt for this killer, and the conflicts the characters must face. This book sends chills down your spine as you follow the agenda of this murderer and get a glimpse of what the near future might hold. This book has large amounts of gore and violence, and is not for those with a weak stomach, or those easily spooked. Some people may say that this book is outdated and unrealistic which takes away from its appeal, but unless you are an actual brain surgeon or a hardcore researcher, I'm sure you enjoy this book.

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DerMeister

Posted December 8, 2008

Quite possibly the most riveting Crichton book I've ever read....period(.)

This jarring psychological thriller of a novel has without a doubt provoked more nail biting in me than any other published piece of literature. It has a phenomenally intriguing story that is taught with terror and fraught with suspense. As usual, Crichton likes to kick off the story with a prologue of sorts to familiarize readers with the scientific break throughs that facilitate the frightening events of the plot. For this story, he begins by reciting a timeline of scientific developments in the field of behavior modification. Specifically, he explains its significance in attempting to alleviate psychometer epilepsy, the disease preying on the novel's main character and soon-to-be antagonist Harry Benson. While the suggested implications of these technological remedies are considerably far-fetched, Crichton typically manages to fabricate a viable "safety net" of actual facts and current events in the scientific community that lead you to believe that these marvelous feats could really happen, which is all the more frightening. I'm also able to fully appreciate how seamlessly he manifests the transition of his artfully tailored background of data to his extraordinary tale of interest. Once the setting is explained to give the reader perspective, Crichton jumps head first into the exposition with the curious plight of Harry Benson, a man who is subject to frequent black outs (initiated by the seizures) in which he loses expansive tracts of time. His episodes had resulted in the severe beating of two people thus far. I can't help but feel that the 30-something Benson was unimpressively characterized. Though the freakish circumstances of his condition more than make up for it, he undoubtedly has little to save him from being a generally static "joe everyman", which dismays me to some degree seeing as I happen to be a reader who enjoys seeing a definite struggle of morals in the afflicted. Regardless of my criticisms, surgeons Ellis and Morris seem to think Benson is more than an ideal specimen to be the primary candidate for their highly experimental procedure. This is where it is more than easy to get lost. I for one felt like there is an awful accumulation of jargon to get tangled in when the procedure is explained. This is a problem I run into quite often in Crichton novels. The relative "flow" of the intrigue is rarely unscathed in the torrent of technical concepts, much like when the whole "artificial intelligence interface" scare and electrode insertion surgery reared their wordy heads. Alas, I was ceaselessly fascinated by the overall theme of science-gone-too-far that's typical of Crichton. I even found myself empathizing with Mr. Benson who had ultimately become a monster due to the efforts of people trying to prevent just that. All and all, it's an interesting book whose bizarre plot is backed up with volumes of scientific know-how. On the negative side, its detail-laden plot is a chore to follow for people who are simply looking for a streamlined sci-fi diversion.

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Anonymous

Posted September 19, 2006

I loved this book

This book has many unique qualities that most other techno-thrillers do not. Michael Crichton definitely put a lot of effort in making the most out of this story. The Terminal man was a great novel, and this wanted to make me read more science-fiction novels.

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Anonymous

Posted November 9, 2005

GREAT BOOK!!!

I just recently got into Mike's writings and I've nearly read all of his books....I have found terminal man to be one of the best, only beaten by PREY....I still would strongly reccomend it and all his other books!

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Anonymous

Posted August 30, 2005

Intelligent For Its Time

Even though this book was written in 1971, I can see it in a modern movie with little changes. Crichton's way of writing is so abrupt and so... well, I don't like math or science, but everything he writes, I understand. If he weren't so good at fiction, I'd suggest he write text books. Anyway, the Terminal Man is awesome and suspenseful. You never know what will happen next, and the end is a shocker... almost.

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Anonymous

Posted December 18, 2003

A good book

This was awesome. I even was a little naughty and read during class, it was so good. I am interested in matters of the brain and insaness, but that's me. The ending somewhat made me confused, but it was good.

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Anonymous

Posted April 15, 2003

Great... until the end.

I must say, I am a great MC fan and have read most of his books. Though I really enjoyed this novel, the end was so awful! I'm not saying don't read it or that it was a bad book; its just the end was very disappointing. I'm not going to spoil it for you though! Go out and buy/borrow/check it out! Just don't expect a good ending. Otherwise, it deserves 5 stars.

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Anonymous

Posted February 22, 2003

Amazing! Fascinating! One of His Best!

I have read about half of Michael Crichton's books-- this is by far one his best (so far). The Terminal Man is short but it fascinated me beyond his other works, simply because of the plot. The plot really grabbed hold of me more than any of his other novels. The only story of his I enjoyed more was Sphere.

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Anonymous

Posted December 7, 2002

The Best

I have read quite a few of his books, and This is on top with Sphere. I am 15 years old and I love these books!

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Anonymous

Posted December 5, 2002

SO GOOD- BUT HEY THAT'S MICHAEL

Wow. This book is great. I read it all in one day because I couldn't put it down. But of course all of Michael Crichton's books are hard to put down! ;)

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